Baby seats, pushchairs, travel systems

[cherrypie]

Hello - can anybody recommend the best babyseat, pushchair and/or combined to make a travel system that fits a four door MM please? We have front/rear inertia reel seatbelts fitted. Thanks.

[Kevin]

Thats a very awkward question to answer, as you probably know baby seat fittings in recent years have changed quite dramatically, what you will have to do is go to someone like Mothercare or one of the baby seat manufacturers and see what type of seat they do that is suitable for an older car with inertias fitted.

[dunketh]

I've used several types without any issues.
Given the Minors rear seats are about the same size as those in a Ford fiesta (for example) I don't see there being any special problems to consider.
The main issue would be how they attach but given you already have inertia belts you've already covered this.

As for folding pushchairs - my biggest problem is actualy getting them in the car! With the Minors frankly useless boot I guess your best bet would be to strap them to a luggage rack or stuff them behind the front seats - until the kids are old enough to need the foot space.

(I dont actually have kids but do operate 'Uncle's' taxi from time to time!)

Might be worth noting that Halfords (and others) actually offer a free fitting service and you can try out different seats actually in the car.

[JimK]

You really should go to the shop and try a whole bunch of seats in the car. Whatever recommendations you get, you should always try it in your car before you buy it. With Minors, variations in seats and positioning of seatbelts can make a difference to the fitting. The shop staff will be able to check the fitting and tell you if it's correct.

As for pushchairs, you'll have a bit of fun getting any of them in the boot. Our Jané Powertrack has never been tried in our saloon; the Jané Energy just about squeezes through the boot opening. Something like the Quinny Zapp would go easily, but the child can't lie flat so it's not suitable for very tinies.

[paulhumphries]

For the pushchair what about fitting a towbar and then making a carrier similar to those used for pushbikes ?
If you have a big pushchair (we had one of the three wheeler types for our youngest and that was huge) then you can get a foldable rack that also fits to towbar.
This is the Thule version but I've seen others (cheaper) and I reckon a DIY version easilly fabricated.
http://www.roofrackshop.com/viewcategory.asp?pctID=73

Paul Humphries

[ColinP]

With the weight of a pushchair - do you really need the towbar?

Would the rear bumper supports be strong enough on their own?

You'll need to make sure the numberplate isn't obscured (or hang another on the objects)

Cheers,

Colin

[paulhumphries]

With the weight of a pushchair - do you really need the towbar?

Would the rear bumper supports be strong enough on their own?

You'll need to make sure the numberplate isn't obscured (or hang another on the objects)

Cheers,

Colin

Push chairs are bulky but not too heavy (even the biggest /three wheeler type probably only weighs the same as a mountain bike) so a proper towbar would certainly be more then capable of supporting one.

This is the problem with my Minor - boot space.
Continuing / deteriating health problems means I can see me needing a mobility scooter sometime in the future hence seriously considering turing my saloon into a Traveller.
One thought I've had however is a "bustle" type boot lid to increase usable load area.
Pity someone doesn't make a fibreglass version.
That way holidays / young kids would means simply undoing the standard boot, putting it way carefully and then bolting on the "bustle" boot .
After holiday / kids out of pushchair get standard boot back out of storage.

Paul Humphries

[ColinP]

Dear Paul,

Sounds as if you want a "Ray special" bootlid - as per the rally car.....

Possible a heresy, but sounds as if you might be better off with a LCV chassis (remove the cab back?).

All the best,

Colin

[Kevin]

Pity someone doesn't make a fibreglass version.

A company called Alexander (I think) used to make one but its some years since I have seen one, and they made a similar one for the 2CV.

[mal]

Ahhh.. the joys of age I've been told for years I'm in my second childhood good thing though, don't have to worry about pushchairs just keeping the daughter from beating me to the drivers seat
These new laws etc; must make it awkward for the younger drivers with families.

Mal

[paulk]

I don't know what they call it now but the Old Graco Metrosport 2002/3 model (stupid name for a pushchair if you ask me) fitted in the Boot of Maude.

It only fitted in one way but it did fit.

[cherrypie]

Thanks, everyone, for your invaluable advice & various suggestions. Will visit Halfords for a fitting and go from there. It cannot be impossible, after all we are not the first to have a baby and a Morris!!

[Kevin]

after all we are not the first to have a baby and a Morris!!

Absolutely not quite a few appear at Rally`s

[bigginger]

Babies or Morris Minors?

[RogerRust]

My experience of babies and cars is a few years out of date, but I do remember camping in the New Forest with a trailer tent and roof rack about 3 ft high with kit - no it wasn't a Morris.

Baby bath, playpen, cot, pushchair, nappies toys, and he ended up with more room in the car than the rest of us! Still they are the happiest days of your life.

[IaininTenbury]

Pity someone doesn't make a fibreglass version.

A company called Alexander (I think) used to make one but its some years since I have seen one, and they made a similar one for the 2CV.

One of these changed hands on ebay in the last two years. I expected some enterprising individual to have bought it to make a mould from. so they could be produced again. (I got beaten to it myself...)